Bob Rae: What's wrong with politics? Plenty.

Former Liberal leader and premier of Ontario Bob Rae believessomething is rotten in the state of Canada. Or at least, if not entirely rotten, it's on the turn.

In his new book, What's Happened to Politics?,Rae says that whilea golden age of parliamentary politics never existed, our current erahas a whiff of "phony salesmanship"about it.

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Rae, who was an Member of Parliament from 1978 to 1982, left federal politics to lead the NDP in Ontario for 14 years, including nearly five years as premier. He told Power & Politics host Rosemary Barton it was when he returned to the House of Commons in 2008 that he noticed a difference.

"When I came back there was a real difference in the mood of the House, there was a real difference in how politics operated and I didn't like the change," Rae said. "The political process has become much more pre-packaged, much more partisan, much more simplistic in its presentations... I just don't like the way it's gone down this path."

Watch the full interview with Rae in the player above.